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Looking to make your holiday season a bit more sustainable this year? Why not try some zero waste gift wrapping to go along with your intentional and thoughtful gifts?!
We have scoured the internet to find the best zero waste gift wrapping ideas to make 2023 the most sustainable holiday season yet.
If you’re interested in more sustainable Christmas ideas, check out our sustainable holiday guides below:
- 101 Best Non Toxic and Eco Friendly Gifts For Kids Of All Ages | 2023
- 101 Best Gift Ideas For Dad in 2023 | Unique, Useful & Thoughtful Gift Guide
- 101 Best Eco Friendly Gift Ideas For Her | 2023 Edition
- 101 Best Gifts For Him In 2023 | Sustainable Gift Guide For Men
- 101 Best Eco Friendly Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List | 2023 Edition
- 50+ Super Fun, Safe & Eco Friendly Toys For Kids In 2023!
The Best Zero Waste Gift Wrapping Ideas!
With the Christmas and Holiday season just around the corner, it’s time to think about some ways to have a more sustainable holiday. One of the best ways to make a difference is by experimenting with zero waste gift wrapping, instead of using unrecyclable, single use wrapping paper and plastic bows.
By all means, you can get creative with many different ways of zero waste gift wrapping, but here are our top ways anyone can try! We’ve included methods simpler and more crafty, so everyone will find their own among the options.
What is furoshiki?
Furoshiki is an amazing minimalist way to wrap gifts that come from traditional Japanese wrapping cloths typically used to wrap and/or to transport goods. We love this way of sustainably wrapping gifts because you can use pretty much anything you have on hand: scarves, fabric, etc.
Is recycled wrapping paper sustainable?
Yes, recycled wrapping paper is sustainable but the most sustainable option will always be what you already own: think already owned wrapping paper, fabric cloths, scarves, cardboard boxes, etc. If you have nothing else on hand or have an oddly shaped gift, recycled wrapping paper is a great choice!
Can I reuse the same reusable wrapping bag over and over?
You can reuse the same reusable gift wrapping bags year after year – and simply mend if they need it and reuse again! I personally love the personalized gift wrapping bags that we found on Etsy – you can place all the goodies in there and be one and done!
This post is about the best sustainable gift wrapping ideas.
11 Super Simple Zero Waste Gift Wrapping Ideas.
1. Furoshiki
This may be our absolute favourite way to wrap presents – using the Japanese Furoshiki fabric wrapping technique.
All you’ll need is a square piece of fabric, which you can reuse for years to come! Use fabric scraps from sewing projects or leftovers from fabric stores to reduce your impact even further.
There are plenty of tutorials on how to master this technique online, or you can just take your own twist on it and improvise!
P.S. If you’re looking for something luxurious and eco-friendly, check out the amazing Furoshiki wraps by Wrappr!
Simple Tutorials for Furoshiki Wrapping:
2. Reusable Gifts Wrapping Bags
You’ve seen reusable produce bags – now take that to the next level with reusable gift bags!
You can reuse them for years to come or even use them for storage throughout the year.
You can find plenty of different options on Etsy, with any print or pattern your heart desires.
A few favorite reusable gift wrapping bags:
3. Newspaper / Comic Section
If you have some old newspaper laying around the house, you can use it as wrapping paper for your Christmas presents!
Just make sure to avoid any controversial news headlines and you’ll have yourself a rustic zero waste gift wrapping that you can finish up with natural string or paper tape.
This way, you can make use of something that would otherwise be wasted and give it a new life.
Our favorite type of newspaper to use? The comic section!
4. Wicker Baskets
My personal favorite zero waste gift wrapping that also doubles as an added present? Wicker baskets! You can find these at pretty much any vintage and secondhand store.
They look so great with any type of sustainable gift inside and you can even top it off with some flowers, fresh baked goods, cans of homemade jam, etc.
The options are limitless with a wicker basket. Time to think outside the box!
Our favorite wicker baskets:
5. Old Cardboard Boxes
There’s a good chance you have a lot of cardboard boxes lying around the house that could be put to better use than just tossed into the recycling bin.
Why not use it to wrap your amazingly thoughtful holiday gifts??
Cardboard boxes that we love to wrap gifts inside: Cereal boxes, cracker boxes, Amazon boxes, and any old box you can scave.
6. Recycled Wrapping Paper
If you’re not ready to give up wrapping paper but want to make a choice that’s substantially more sustainable, give recycled and recyclable wrapping paper a try.
It’s not fully zero waste, because paper can’t be recycled indefinitely, but it’s a big step in a greener direction.
Use a natural string or paper tape and your Christmas wrapping will be low-waste and plastic-free.
A few eco friendly wrapping paper ideas:
This post was all about zero waste gift wrapping ideas
Our list of over 11 amazing zero waste gift wrapping ideas is sure to come in handy this year and many years to come! If you have any more eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas, be sure to drop them below in the comments.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
If you liked this post on eco friendly gift wrapping ideas, you’ll definitely want to check out these other posts from SKL:
[…] gift wrapping to go along with your thoughtful gifts?! Sustainable Kind Living suggests these 11 different ways to wrap your gifts for the most eco-friendly holiday […]